The Occurrence

The Hawaii-born, Los Angeles-transplant known as J.Lauryn brings the summer heat on her refreshing, tropical-rhythmic single "Rum & Ting" that cleverly references the sweet and sour Jamaican drink.  The song is brimming with island beach vibes...

In our continuing quest for the best in world music, we’re skipping the next alphabetical country, the Holy See, which is another name for the Vatican. We’re guessing Pope Francis and his posse are not...

Stateside, most of us are familiar with Haiti because of its devastating 2010 earthquake or because of the Fugees’ Wyclef Jean launching an unsuccessful bid for its presidency. Beyond the tragedy and beyond the political...

  Though their peculiar spelling is a nightmare to copyeditors, DRӔMINGS are aural bliss to our ears. Keeping company with slowcore greats such as Beach House and the Cocteau Twins, this timeless project aims to circumvent...

Now here's a country with a rainbow of peoples and music that you might not have ever considered to be a melting pot. Guyana lies physically on the Caribbean and within South America, but its...

Though they share similar names, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau are unique countries. Today we’re focusing on the former Portuguese colony where animism meets Latin flavors. Here are five artists from Guinea-Bissau you need to know about.   DJ...

A predominately rural, French-speaking and Muslim West African country, Guinea thrives on the strength of its musical traditions. Groove to the kora (a stringed lute-harp) and explore these five essential artists.   Mory Kanté This kora maestro and...

A civil war may have shaped the course of Guatemala’s history, but so has the ingrained music of the Spanish and Mayan peoples. Amid native woodwinds and percussion thrives a resistance that comes from song....